


Honeybunch | Klance College AU

by inlovewithaghoul



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altea (Voltron), Altea University, Alternate Universe - College/University, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Boyfriends, Did I mention Klance?, Fluff and Angst, Galra University, Gay Keith (Voltron), Headcanons/Fanons, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Human Allura (Voltron), Human Lotor (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Karaoke, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith is Emo of course, Keith is such a clueless bean omfg, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Klance College, Klance Week, Klance in College, Lance lowkey feeling Kieth but disguises it as hate cuz he's an idiot, Love Triangle, Love or Hate, M/M, Pining Lance (Voltron), Professor Shiro (Voltron), Shadam bc FUCK curtis, Sleepovers, Voltron Human AU, drunk Keith!, i wish this was as good as dirty laundry, klance slowburn, shklance - Freeform, voltron is dead
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:41:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25452580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithaghoul/pseuds/inlovewithaghoul
Summary: [klance college a.u.]It's okay to cry over spilled milk.-Lance perceives Keith as an academic kiss-up too good for his peers, but Keith is so warped into his own mind that he doesn't even realize that Lance exist. The milk overflows when Keith admits to Lance more than he can chew, and Keith finds out how the other end of a one-sided love feels.-⚠️WARNING⚠️Contains mature content and themes that may be triggering and/or unsuitable for readers:Suicidal tendencies, death, abuse, angst, & sexual themes
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lance (Voltron), Allura/Lotor (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Keith/Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 34





	1. Staycation

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! 
> 
> So a few of you may be wondering what this is. Well this is a story that I've been working on for a while. Like, a long time, along with countless other stories that are just stuck in my archives.
> 
> I bet you are wondering, "Why Voltron? It's dead."
> 
> And right you are!
> 
> The thing is, I hated the ending of VLD so much, and I had all these headcanons and fanons stuck in my head, and stories I wanted to share, but my talents were lacking. I wanted to do the fandom and the characters justice, and be able to look at an old work of mine without dying from the embarrassment of how bad it is. Even though I still think it's bad.
> 
> Anyway, I guess you could say this is a shot at me trying normal story telling. I feel like this same story could be told with other characters, or with normal people. I don't know, it's very dramatic and kind of corny, but I tired so hard to make it kind of realistic.
> 
> To be honest, I would love this story to be on the same level as Dirty Laundry, which was a gorgeous fanfictional masterpiece. Though I know it won't be that great, it's nice to have a goal.
> 
> Anyway, I will be keeping all A/N to a minimum. I will update once a week. I know where the story is going, and chapter wise I am about halfway done, but I keep going back and checking continuity, grammar, flow, and all that jazz because I have high expectations, and I know you, as the readers, do also.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I do writing it. 
> 
> inlovewithaghoul <3
> 
> Note: the A03 version of the story will be a little behind in terms of Wattpad, since I published it there first under the same name. If this changes, I will inform you all. Thank you!

"How do you think our first semester of college would have been if the three of us had never met?" Pidge asked, sprawled across my bed. She was throwing a mini basketball up in the air, and catching it, ignoring the basketball hoop on the back of my dorm door. Hunk sat on his own bed, while I twirled around in our computer chair, staring at the twisting ceiling.

"Well, I for sure would have failed by now," I say without any hesitation. "You and Hunk definitely saved my math grade."

"Don't praise us too much, you still got a C," Hunk's voice switched between ears every time I spun. I slow down, so my eyes can focus on him.

"C's still get degrees," I shrug, then continue spinning. Pidge lets out a snort.

"1101 wasn't even that hard. I think the professor was just being biased."

I roll my eyes, though I know she has to be right. From calculating equations, to solving life issues, she is never actually wrong.

"I know right! But he had a lot of favoritism to one student in particular."

Hunk groans, "Here we go again." Pidge and Hunk both give each other a look that I can't decipher.

"Shush your mouth!" I stop spinning in my chair, for dramatic effect. "You cannot tell me that Professor Shiro wasn't playing favorites with that Kogane kid! Plus, he's a rude little shit."

Pidge sits up, doubling over in laughter. "You know, that 'rude little shit' is actually really smart."

"Not only in academics," Hunk pitches in, "but he is a genius when it comes to brown-nosing." I gag, pushing against the desk to do a double spin.

Pidge stares at the basketball hoop, then back to the basketball in her hand. "Listen Lance, I know you are a prideful little shit-"

"Hey!"

"But in college, you gotta know how to play the game." Pidge continues to examine the hoop across the room, then her eyes dart back to the ball. "With getting on a professor's good side, it's not about how smart you are. It's about molding into who they prefer, and calculating their train of thought to the 'T'. If you can do that", she shoots the ball into the hoop, "then you'll score an A for sure."

"Easy for you to say," I pout while resting my chin on my arms, "you have brains."

"Yeah but it's not like I use them that often." Pidge jumps up, walking to the ball, and picking it up. "You gotta work smarter, not harder."

"Also, I feel you don't really apply yourself," Hunk chimes in, with a pondering look. "If you tried, you'd make the Dean's List for sure. This isn't necessarily a hard school."

"I guess."

Pidge, Hunk, and I met in Math 1101 in our first fall semester at Altea University, a school that was known for its prestige, but it's popularity has dwindled over the years. It was my only choice, since it's not far from home, and they offered me a full ride though my high school GPA was way below the standard. Must have been some sort of mix-up, but I'm _very_ grateful for it.

Pidge's phone chimes, and she pulls it out of her pocket. "Ah," she drops the basketball, typing very quickly on her screen. "Matt's here!"

Pidge runs over to Hunk, giving him a huge hug, and jumps up to give him a kiss on the cheek. She runs to me, doing the same. Pidge, though she may seem calculative, is a very warm and loving person. You'd never know that someone so small loved to snuggle.

She head's towards the door, then turns around. Tears were welling behind her thick glasses.

"I'm gonna miss you guys!" Pidge chokes, rubbing her eyes with her green sweater.

"Oh come on, it's only for about two months," I laugh it off. But I was going to miss her too.

"It won't feel that long. We'll still be here when next semester rolls around." Hunk chokes on the last part, getting emotional too. Those two together could cry enough to fill a bathtub.

"Okay," Pidge gives a small smile. "See you next semester, enjoy your Christmas!" Pidge opens the door, waving as she closes it. I get up, walk to my own bed, and flop on it. It was warm from when Pidge was here.

"Damn, it doesn't feel like Christmas," Hunk says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's always humid out, so you'd never tell."

Then, Hunk's phone chimes. He takes it out of his pocket, and his face lights up. "Shay's done packing." Hunk get's up, smooths out the comforter on his bed, and stretches. "Time to hit the road."

"I hope your parents love her as much as you do," I laugh. Hunk and Shay have been dating for the entire semester, and his 'Christmas gift' to his family was the knowledge of his girlfriend. Hunk was scared he was going too fast, but Shay insisted, and was hella excited.

"Alright, I'll see you when I get back," Hunk holds out his fist. I gave him a bump, giving him a huge smile. "Of course."

All of a sudden, Hunk's eyes water. Before I knew it, it was crying into my shoulder. His sobs vibrating through my entire body.

"Oh my gosh, Hunk," I laugh, patting his back.

Hunk pulls away, wiping his messy nose. "I'm just gonna miss you, dude. Plus, you're gonna be here all by yourself!"

"It's fine, Hunk. I promise I won't die." I try to reassure him, but all he does is stare back at me with his huge, puppy eyes. "If you're thinking about kissing me, save it for Mrs."

That's enough to get Hunk to laugh, his face brightening back up. After reassuring him I would be okay for another five minutes, he finally leaves. When he closes the door behind him, the room becomes eerily silent, as I am left alone with my thoughts.

The only reason I am stuck here for Christmas is because I can't go back home. I don't have a car, the only one our family has is the farm's blue pickup. Plus, I don't want to make my family drive all the way out of here on my account. I may only be about two hours away, but that's two hours they could use to be focusing on themselves.

And I couldn't bother Hunk of Pidge with this information. I wouldn't want to intrude on their family, and I don't want them to sacrifice family time on my behalf. They deserve a break too.

It's better this way.

Well what the fuck am I supposed to do for the next few weeks?

I get under my comforter, tucking in to get ready to do what I'll most likely be doing for the entire.

Sleep.


	2. Pulleys and Levers

It takes the welcoming of my empty mini-fridge to realize that holding up in my room for three days straight was not the best idea, nor was I gonna last for two months.

If I didn't have a shower in my dorm room, I would have realized that sooner.

I reluctantly climb out of bed, and throw on some random sweats over my boxers. The white tee I have on is crumpled, but it's not like I'm getting dressed to impress. I stroll into our closet sized bathroom, flicking on the yellow lights. Staring back at my frumpy reflection, the unnatural lighting doesn't compliment my skin at all. There were noticeable bags under my eyes, despite me literally doing nothing for the past few days, and my hair was beyond presentable. It looked as if I got tossed around by a tornado, and dropped into this humid bathroom, to soak in just how wild I look.

Tonight will be a self-care night, _obviously_.

I brush my teeth, humming the ABC's in my head to make sure I brush a decent amount of time. I splash some warm water on my face, to get myself acclimated in some sense. Drying my face, I flick the lights off, and exit.

The window in my room lets the natural sunlight stream in through the sheer, white curtains. I peek out the window, and I am met with the dorm courtyard.

In the middle on the brick walkways stood a fountain, with the school mascot sitting on top, spewing water. The mascot was a lion, to represent the pride and strength of the school. It's been given the name Voltron. Why something so weird, I'll never understand. It was named by the founder of the school, who I suspect really enjoyed science fiction, or fantasy in his spare time.

The courtyard was usually bustling with students, whether they were sitting down, or rushing to class. But, because of the break, the crowd had dwindled significantly, with two skateboarders, and two of the seven benches occupied.

I close the curtains, walking away, before recalling someone that caught my eye.

I lunge back to the window, focusing on the student sitting by himself on the fountain. That gross hairstyle was all too familiar.

_Kogane._

He was seated, legs crossed, reading next to a stack of other books next to him, and one the ground. Though he was slouched forward, with his hair suspended over his face, I could spot that stupid hairstyle from miles away. It's like he was trying to be some kind of 80s biker, but without the edge.

Of course he was studying, the little teacher's pet. But was that all he was gonna do on break? Does he not do anything fun?

Is he not leaving for home, like me? Is he by himself for the break, like me?

Question after question raced through my mind, the curiosity almost eating me alive. I shake my head aggressively, as if the thoughts would physically spew out of my ears because of the force.

What the fuck should I care for?

He has nothing to do with me.

suddenly, he closes the book he was reading, revealing a pair of finger-less gloves that were hiding behind his book. He stands up from the fountain, stretching his long limbs. He joins the book with the stack on the fountain, and reaches down to pick up the one on the ground. He crouches, picks it up, dusting it off. He flips it around in his hands, before looking up.

Directly at me.

I've never gotten a good look at his face, since I was always staring at the back of his distasteful hairstyle, but the first thing that grabbed my attention was his eyes. The sunlight caught in them made them gleam silver. It was almost as if those eyes of his were picking apart my very soul, and maybe I'm crazy, but it felt like we were frozen in that small millisecond.

Maybe because it's so fucking weird to see someone glaring at you from their dorm window.

I quickly move the curtains closed, my face feeling flushed. I know for a fact I probably freaked him out. I mean, who _wouldn't_ be freaked out by that? If anything, it probably makes him hate me, or think I'm way weirder than he initially thought.

Fine by me, who doesn't love a good rivalry?

I pick up Hunk's digital alarm clock, 10:27 dotted in red. All the hot food station's were probably closing for lunch, meaning I couldn't get any pancakes, or grits. I'll have to settle for the cereal bar, which is strangely open all day.

Maybe some Honey Bunches of Oats.

I put the alarm clock back, slipping on some slippers to walk in. I pick up the basketball off the floor, dunking it before leaving the room. I don't bother locking the door, there's nothing to steal anyway, unless they want a few cotton swabs or Dove soap.

Maybe it's because I'm too lazy to do anything, but I avoid taking the stairs in favor of the old elevator at the end of the wing. I click the down button, waiting for the elevator to reach my floor. I stand with my arms folded, watching the numbers countdown from seven to five, the elevator dinging a little too loudly for my taste. The doors creepily slide open, making a dragging noise. I start to walk in but do a double take, almost tripping over my own slippers.

Of fucking course.

_Kogane._

He's leaning on the elevator wall, a book tucked under his arm, I'm guessing from the stack that he had while sitting at the fountain. He's wearing a white tee, a red jacket, jeans, and shoes to match the shirt. His neat and confident exuding persona totally contrasts my just-got-out-of-bed wear. The elevator begins to close, and he puts his foot in the way. It slides back open to reveal his face, twisted in confusion.

"Uh, are you getting on?"

"Sure?" I question, stepping into the small, dimly lit space.

I consciously press against the opposite side of the elevator, trying to create as much space as possible. I avoid looking at Kogane's face, my eyes wandering everywhere else, praying he didn't recognize me from earlier. My heart began to pound so loudly in my ears, I barely caught his sentence.

"-floor?" Kogane's voice broke my train of thought.

"What?"

"I said, 'which floor'?" He sounded confused this time, probably wondering what warranted my sudden loss of hearing.

"Uh, the lobby."

"Oh. Me too." He clicks the "L" button, then retreating back to his leaning position.

"Nice." I draw out the word, exaggerating the "ice" sound.

Lord, I sound like a fucking idiot.

The numbers on the elevator slowly twinkle down, even slower than usual for the old elevator.

_5._

I twiddle my fingers together, wondering if I should try to make conversation, some sort of small talk to ease the tension in here.

_4._

Maybe I should explain why I was staring at him outside my window? It wasn't on purpose, but how would he know? For all he knows, I'm just that weird guy from class who was casually staring at him through my dorm window, but I swear it was just purely coincidence.

_3._

I stare at my slippers, feeling self conscious as I work up the courage to find some sort of explanation.

What if he thought I was jerking off?

I tug at my hair thinking about how mortifying that would be.

_2._

"About earlier..." I start, looking up to stare at my problem in the face. He's not even paying attention to me, of course, just buried in his fucking book. Not even attempting a conversation.

"What?" He sounds slightly agitated, not even looking up from his book to give me his undivided attention.

Rude.

"Nothing."

_1._

Thank Jesus this was almost over. I don't know how much longer I can take this awkwardness. It's almost as if he doesn't even care.

Wait, is that why he's acting so nonchalant? Does he really not care about anything?

Am I the only person making a big deal out of this?

_Ding, ding._

The elevator doors creakily slide open, revealing the dorm lobby. It's a very open area, with large windows surrounding seperate rooms to study, play games, and even play the piano. There was a lot of seating, bean bags and couches, so that people would feel comfortable as they lazed about.

I walk out of the elevator, footsteps following. He did say that he was also going to the lobby floor.

"Were you about to say something?"

I stop in my tracks, wondering what I should say.

_Listen, this morning was a total accident. I totally didn't mean to stare into your eyes so intently, like some kind of creep. But it seems you don't even care. Fuck, do you care about anything? It's the same as last semester,when you were acting like a little prick during class. How are you smart, but have this "lone wolf" thing going on at the same time? You can't be all that smart, especially with the way you had the professor wrapped around your finger._

Is what I wanted to say.

I really wanted to chew into him. But when I turned around to finally give him a piece of my mind, he looked genuinely confused. It was as if he were looking at a complete stranger.

He doesn't even recognize me.

Has never taken the time to acknowledge me.

"Forget it." I spit, not even bothering to turn around as I exit the building.

I no longer saw the point in confrontation. Was it even a confrontation? As hard as I tried last semester, and he still doesn't know who I am. No "Oh, it's you Lance." Not even a "Oh look, it's Lance. My rival." Not mean mugs, middle fingers, nothing. It's as if I don't even exist in his world. I rivalry can't work if the hate is one sided.

 _"Hate" though?_ , the voice in the back of my head suggested.

 _Fuck off,_ I replied.

Why the hell do I even fucking care?

I ignore the thoughts nagging in the back of my mind, trying not to be consumed by any unwanted conclusions.

I pass the fountain, a few water droplets splashing on my arm. Despite it being winter, it felt very warm outside. Since this was the south, snow was almost non-existent. We have at least one case now every few years, but it's the kind of snow that melts before it even touches your hand. Even then, the possibility of snow doesn't come around until January. And that's when people go buck wild, acting as if snow falling from the sky signified the end of the world. I silently hope for snow, so that they cancel classes in a panic.

As I exit the dorm section of the campus, I still hear footsteps following behind me, moving against the brick. Well, more like clicking.

Click, click, click.

Was that Kogane? Was he going to jump me once he got the chance?

Nah, he wouldn't do that. He doesn't even know me.

So is he the one following me?

I quickly take a sharp left towards a nearby bench, and sit down, waiting for the person to pass by. To my surprise, a tall girl with white bleached hair walks by, her curls frizzed form the humidity. Though I couldn't see her face, she was poised, and walked so gracefully. Her black pants and creme button down seemed to flow in the breeze, and if it weren't for her creme heels, you'd think she was floating.

She seemed gorgeous.

She began walking towards the Student Union Center, the same exact place I was going that holds the campus cafeteria. I stand up, looking down at my clothes. Though they were comfy, they weren't exactly presentable, especially in the presence of someone like her.

But it wouldn't hurt to try?

If she is here for break, maybe I can catch her some other time?

I begin walking towards the Student Union Center, it's large windows encased with brick walls. The entire front of the building was practically just windows, you could the cafeteria from the multiple front doors.

I enter the entrance, and am met with another lounge. The TV is set up, broadcasting morning cartoons, while a few students are crashed on the couch and beanbags. To my far left is the cafe Beans & Cream, which sells some of the best personalized coffee drinks I've ever had. They know my order by name, the Rainbows and Cream, a cookies and cream brew that portrays the rainbow in a twenty ounce cup. Fuck Starbucks, this is the real deal.

To my left is the school store, the normal buzzing has dwindled significantly, the lines actually looked reasonable.

I walked right into The Grub, the campus cafeteria, and presented my ID so that I could pay for the meal. The woman scans it, and let's me enter.

Normally The Grub was bustling with rowdy, hungry, and hangry students. All day, around the clock, there was always a group of people sharing a laugh, sharing a drink, or sharing space. It was always so vibrant in here, Pidge, Hunk, and I came in here regularly because we were allowed to be loud while eating food. But today, it was so empty.

There were students scattered everywhere in the large cafeteria, but the empty tables outnumbered the customers. Almost everyone had on some type of headphone, either to not be bothered, or to mimic the loud feeling that normally greets them when they walk in here. I start feeling empty too, as the feeling weighs down on me. Besides Pidge and Hunk, I really didn't know anyone, nor talk to anyone. I tried with Kogane once, but he was a lost cause. It's just, I've gotten so used to them that I forgot what it truly felt like to be alone. I haven't felt this since the first time I stepped foot on this campus.

Well, sort of.

I walk straight to the cereal bar located on the opposite side of the room, squeezing past empty chairs and tables. The movement of chairs fills the noiseless cafeteria, earning me a few glares. I awkwardly smile, waving back as a form of apology. Once at the counter, I examine each dispenser, before coming across the brand I've been looking forward to since it ran out in my dorm.

Honey Bunches of Oats.

I grab a glass bowl, dispensing as much as it could hold. I go to the milk dispenser, fill it up to the brim, then grab a spoon. As I'm stirring the cereal, I catch a glimpse of white hair floating by. I perk up, looking towards the direction it's going.

The girl has a sub on a plate, most likely made for the lunch special, and a bag of kettle chips. She walks towards one of the single stools, pops an airpod in, and takes out her phone. I walk towards her slowly, blindly locating a seat close enough so that I could try to catch a glimpse of her face. She was a few chairs away, while I sat in a booth in a nearby corner. I start eating my cereal, the honey flavor bursting on my tongue, along with the sound of crunch from the almonds.

"Ahem."

I pause, feeling a little bit of milk dribble down my chin. I look on the other side of the booth and choke on my oats.

The oats get lodged into my throat as I swallow, causing me to cough under the table so that anything I cough up doesn't accidentally land in his vicinity.

After finishing my coughing fiasco, I sit up, wide eyed, to meet Kogane's face. That's when I finally got a good look.

His eyes were a sort of blueish grey, a color I have never seen before on a person. It's either a basic blue, like mine, or a basic brown. Despite his unruly hair, his skin was smooth and fair, and his eyebrows looked as if they were maintained on a weekly basis. Despite him having near perfect skin, there was a sick scar on the right of his face.

I wonder where he got it from?

Since I was always staring at the back of his head, it is intriguing to know that his face looked a lot better than his scalp.

Maybe it's because I was staring too long, because his hand immediately goes to cover the scar. I unintentionally made him self conscious, and I wish I could remove the nervous look on his face.

"What do you want?"

I remember the situation at hand.

_Oh yeah, fuck._

"Oh, nothing. I didn't realize anyone was sitting here."

"So you didn't open your eyes?"

A snarky one, I see.

"Oh fuck off, you don't even know me."

"Which is a more than enough reason for you to move."

Okay, okay. I'll admit, he got me.

I reluctantly grab my cereal, staring off towards the white haired girl that got me into this mess. Well really, it was me and my lack of awareness. It must have been obvious while I was staring, because Kogane spoke up.

"She has a boyfriend."

My heart sinks a little, until I look around. Everyone, including the girl, looked so fucking lonely and depressed. No one interacts with each other or smiles, just individuals wallowing in their own loneliness. I'm sure every single one of them would rather be anywhere else with the ones they love, than here in this hell hole.

Seasonal depression was a bitch.

"Well I don't see him." I say looking back at Kogane, seeing the disgusted look on his face. "No, not like that." I try to correct the situation. Whoever she was dating, I don't need them coming after me because of a misunderstanding.

"It's just, she's alone. Everyone is, and it's the holidays. Everyone needs someone for the holidays, even if it's just someone to pass the time with." I then look into his eyes, almost consumed by them. "Even someone like you."

Red creeps up onto his face, and I realize how weird I sound. If I haven't creeped him out yet, then I definitely did now.

"Uh, bye." Embarrassed, I turn on the heel of my slippers, and begin to walk to the trash can.

"Wait a second!" Kogane's voice calls out behind me. My ears perk up.

_Aren't you the guy from Shiro's class? Look, I'm sorry for being a dick when ignoring you, I just take my studies really seriously. Plus, by the time I started getting comfortable in class, everyone was already grouped together. Totally my fault, but since we're both here, why not spend this break wallowing in self-pity together?_

Is what I wanted him to say.

"Aren't you from the elevator?"

My heart drops, at the thought of me only being associated with the elevator. He really doesn't know me.

He _really doesn't_ know me.

_At all._

"You could say that."

I continue walking, dumping the remains of my cereal in the trash, losing my appetite.


	3. Match Set

"Fuck!" I yell, tugging at my hair as I stand in my dorm. Why did I have to run into him again? Why did I say those things? Why was I being such a creep?

I think back to Kogane's face, the way his hair swept over his eyes as if to guard his expressions. The way his eyebrows furrowed on his forehead, his head tilted in a perpetual state of confusion. That scar, that looked as if someone streaked paint onto a classic renaissance portrait. Those eyes, God those eyes, gleaming, but also holding a heavy sadness.

_Wait._

_Eyes?_

_Renaissance portrait?_

_Swept hair?_

I feel my face heat up, and rush to the bathroom, flicking on the lights. The Lance that stares back at me is wide eyed, flustered, with speckled cheeks resembling a fire hydrant. I run some cold water, splashing it on my face, as if trying to wash the blush away. But it didn't wash away in the white sink, the same look meeting me back in the mirror, except this time the reflection is drenched.

I grab a nearby towel, drying my face, trying to calm myself down. I run to my window, snatching it open, a gentle breeze blowing through the curtains. I turn on the ceiling fan, and the desk fan, desperately trying to cool myself off. I feel my temperature go down, yet my heart keeps pounding against my rib-cage.

_Why am I feeling this way_ , I thought as I laid sprawled across my bed. I mean he's attractive, anyone would act that way around someone attractive. But it's Kogane we're talking about. The mysterious, bed-head, who acts edgy, and often kisses up to professors to boost his grade. Not to mention his 'lone wolf, live alone die alone' mindset. The number of times I've tried small talking with him, only to be flat out ignored is what pissed me off the most. Like _hello_ , I'm just trying to be nice here.

It's not like I like him, no way. He's a total stranger, who doesn't seem to be interested in progressing past that, and that's fine by me.

Well if it is fine by me, why does it keep bothering me?

_Why_ do I still want to get to know him?

Looking back, he was always alone. The fact that he kept rejecting people, persisted to work alone, and was all up in Shiro's ass really tuned people off. I guess part of me just felt bad, and a part of me still feels like he needs someone.

_Everyone needs someone for the holidays, even if it's just someone to pass the time with._

My words repeat in my head like a movie scene on loop, accompanied by Kogane's red face. If the cafeteria was at its usual capacity, the audience would have been enough to send both of us in an embarrassed induced coma.

I take out my phone, the screen illuminating in a plain blue backdrop. The time read 12:30 on the dot, and the day was still young. Since I haven't been consistent in exercising, I decide to treat myself to a run down the campus trail. I trade my sweats for comfortable shorts, and grab my headphones, thankful that the cords weren't tangled.

_Maybe I'll run into Kogane on the trail_ , I think.

As I leave the room, I leave those specific thoughts behind the door.

But the thought of him still lingers.

...

Since it was the middle of the day, the heat had kicked into maximum overdrive. I'm so glad that I switched my clothes, or I would have definitely had a heatstroke.

The trail was a fairly long one. In the center of the trail, it dipped into a lake that students would often avoid in favor of the pool, but the water was clear, filtered by a fountain in the very center. The mist spraying in the air acted as a cooling method to those suffering through laps around the lake. There were long street lights along the trail, for when you wanted to run at night, and there were benches every few yards if you wanted to rest.

Not too far was the tennis court, where you had to follow the trail to actually get to. It's like some sort of warm up before you play, players often running the trail before practicing or playing school games. Though we played against a lot of colleges in the state, we only had one rival that actually gave us a hard time. Galra University, a school rivaling us since it was built apparently.

Whenever I attended games against GU with Hunk and Pidge, it would scare me shitless. Those players looked as if they were on steroids, large and monstrous in size. Their strength and numbers are ridiculous, but somehow we still held our own. One reason I will never play football is because their tackles are ruthless. I'd rather play something that doesn't require one-on-one contact, like track, hence why I'm out here in the first place. Freshman aren't allowed to participate in sports unless they are exceptional in athleticism and grades, but the coach examining my high-school track records and awards gave me a spot guaranteed once I became a sophomore. So training on break seems like a better option than lying in bed, sulking with a bowl of soggy cereal.

A large forest surrounded the trail, acting as some sort of fence. The forest itself was often used for students who wanted to camp outside, or for bonfires being held, as long as the fire wasn't too large. I believe the archery club often practices in these woods, and the lake trail actually splits form concrete to a dirt road to enter the forest. But the mosquitoes are terrible already, so being in the forest is out of the question.

As I continued jogging, the tennis court began to come into view, and it seemed that two people were occupying it. Most likely to train over the break.

Though I had on my earphones, the sound of a tennis ball being hit from the player, to the concrete, back to the player ricocheted through the air, along with a few shouts.

Whoever they were, they were really going at it.

I pump up the volume as I get closer, Rhianna blasting back at me. But despite that, the closer I got, the louder the players got, as if battling the volume of my music instead of themselves. I stop jogging, pausing at the tennis court fence, curious to see why the hell these two were so worked up. Snatching off my headphones, I take a look.

The player facing me, but on the opposing side of the court, had long hair that draped to the middle of his back like a silvery curtain, despite being in a ponytail. What made his hair shine so brightly was definitely the contrast against his caramel skin, with a jawline that seemed sharp enough to cut someone.

_Holy shit._

It was without a doubt that he was attractive. He wasn't even a "lanky" type of slim, but slim-fit. You could see almost every individual muscle tense and relax through his movements, his obviously toned arms and legs exposed through his knee-length white shorts and white tank top.

His entire image was a goal.

Though I only laid eyes on him for a few seconds, I could tell he was the type to ooze confidence.

I shifted my gaze to his opponent, whose back was facing me. His dark hair was pulled into a ponytail, a drastically shorter one nonetheless. Despite the heat, the guy was wearing a long sleeve white shirt, and long black pants.

Poor guy. He must be self conscious about his build. I mean, I would be too if my opponent looked like that.

But despite what I thought, the guy hit some very powerful serves. I watch as they go back and forth, the dark haired one putting up a good fight. But while staring at the back of his head, it begins to look familiar. Finally, the dark haired guy scores a point, the ball hitting the fence on the other side.

"Ha!", he shouts, obviously pleased. But, that _voice_.

The silver hair guy scoffs, running his hands through his ponytail. "Oh please, you just tied with me. It's not like you've won." Wow, even his voice exudes such pride.

"Well after this point, we can officially say the 'L' in your name stands for 'Loser'!", the dark haired guy laughs, bouncing the tennis ball with his racket.

That _voice_...

"If you don't collapse from a heat stroke first." The "L" guy gets into a stance, his tennis racket in front of him.

"Shut it." The dark haired guy snaps back.

But who is he?

My curiosity gets the best of me, and I travel to the side of the tennis court, where a water fountain is. I bend over the fountain, pressing the side, and water comes streaming out. I peered over the water, pretending to drink, so that I could get a good look at the opponent. But he moved an awful lot, his movements blurred together as one, his racket moving as an extension of himself.

He looked so natural, as if he came out the womb swinging a racket.

It wasn't until he did a side step, and the right side of his face was exposed, that I almost snorted the water from gasping.

The scar was undeniable.

All of a sudden, a tennis ball came flying towards me.

"Fuck!" I yell, stumbling back into the grass. Of course the ball didn't hit me, it just bounced off the fence back into the court.

"Yo, Lotor, what the heck?" Kogane shouted.

Footsteps begin to approach me, and I am cascaded with a shadow.

"Would you like to join?"

"Huh?" I say confused, staring back at the guy in front of me.

"You were staring for quite a long time, I figured you'd like to take part in the match also?"

"N-No it's not like that", I scramble up, but this Lotor guy still had a few inches on me. I felt incredibly small.

"If you wanted to join, you could have just said so, there was no need to pretend to drink water." He places his racket over his shoulders, and his other hand on his hip. I could feel my face turn red. Was I that obvious?

"Or perhaps, are you waiting to use the court? I've never seen you on the 'A' team. Are you trying out next semester? It's been rather boring winning against your school so easily."

Huh? Winning against us? Does he not go here? The campus and the number of students that attend is so unnecessarily huge, I kind of just assumed he was just another student I'd never met before.

"No, I was just watching. Taking a break from my jog." I felt so undeniably small, that I couldn't help but to tell the truth. Not that I needed to lie anyway, I had already been caught. All I could hope is that Kogane didn't follow him over here.

"Hey Lotor, what's going-" His voice halts.

_Oh, fuck me_.

Our eyes meet, and Kogane has a confused look on his face. Then his eyes widened.

"Sorry Yorak, this fellow caught my eye. Or maybe we caught his eyes instead?" Lotor smirks, placing a hand on his chin. But I ignore his comment in favor of a question racking my brain.

_Who the fuck is_ "Yorak"?

As if on cue, Kogane smacks Lotor. "I told you to stop calling me that stupid name!"

"Whaaaat..." Lotor begins poking Kogane's cheeks, teasing him. "Do you not like your middle name?" He speaks in a tone that you would often use to talk to a baby. Kogane smacks his hand.

"Fuck off."

I can't help but be confused at what I'm looking at. It was almost as if watching two siblings fight.

It was kind of...

_Cute_.

I rub my temples, suppressing any other thoughts that might surface. I clear my throat, getting their collective attention.

"Well I'll be on my way. Sorry for disturbing your game." I say, placing my headphones back into my ear.

"Wait a second!" I hear Kogane shout, but I pretend not to hear as I jog away.

I'm a fool.

But why?

I can't comprehend my embarrassment, or why I got so fucking nervous. Maybe the encounter from earlier still has me shaken up, and even if he doesn't feel weird about it, me confronting him in any way, shape, or form is creating a huge wad of anxiety that's clogging up my throat to properly speak. There's a chance he might not even care, and might genuinely want to get to know me, but there's also a chance that he doesn't want anything to do with me. So why risk anything at all?

I continue jogging, the temperature slowly increasing with each step I struggle to make. Running on a practically empty stomach was a terrible idea, and the little bit of dairy I had definitely is not helping.

I ran an extra lap around the trail, passing by the tennis court, but when I got there, it was barren. The only thing left was a few scattered tennis balls, it's neon green illuminating off the forest green court.

Disappointment hits me like a truck. But what was I expecting? Was a part of me hoping Kogane would still be there? So that he could call after me again?

Without a doubt, I would have answered him the second time.


	4. Profess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been feeling well lately, but I've been using my down time to write non-stop, and decided to post Chapter 4 early since I've been sitting on it for a few weeks (months). Chapter 5 will proceed to be posted on schedule this following Monday. Thank you for the support, it makes me feel a whole lot better <3

"Wait a second!" I call after the guy from earlier, but he's jogging away with his headphones swinging before I can even call him again.

"Fuck, this is like the third time today." I run my hands through my hair, snatching the scrunchy out in frustration. My hair plops onto my forehead like a wet mop.

"Ew." Lotor says in disgust.

"Fuck off, not everyone can have such 'luscious locks' as you." I retort, flipping the damp strands out of my face.

"Damn straight. It's a blessing most people can't handle."

I rolled my eyes at Lotor, his overconfidence was sickening. Like love yourself, but not to the point where you want to fuck yourself.

"Do you know him?" Lotor asks, sitting down in a shaded area on the court. He pats a spot next to him, and I roll my eyes as I pretend to be disgusted by the idea of sitting next to him. Lotor is like the annoying, popular older brother in my life, while I'm the scum hiding in his shadow. But I don't mind being shaded from the spotlight, I've had more than enough of the spotlight experience on my own. I honestly prefer the dark.

"I think I do?" I start out, pondering. "I've run into him like three times today on coincidence alone."

"Oh?" Lotor rests his chin in his hand, his eyebrows raised. "Could it be fate? Or your mother pulling unnecessary strings?"

"Fuck off." I can feel my face grow hot, but I decide to blame it on our previous match. "I already warned her about that weird spy shit she has going on, and I don't believe in sappy stuff like 'fate' or 'destiny'."

But what if?

The thought runs across my mind, and as quickly as it came, it disappeared.

"I think I've seen him somewhere before today though, I just can't quite figure out where..."

Lotor starts naming off places. "Was it at a party?"

"When have you ever known me to party?" _Unless you and Allura dragged me out just to get drunk me out of hibernation for a few hours_.

"School store?"

"I hate it here."

"Regular store?"

"Maybe?"

"I think you'd remember an employee if he was as cute as him, he seems up your alley." Lotor huffs.

"No he's not!"

"Was it a class?" Lotor ignores my protest, continuing his poorly conducted investigation.

Wait a second.

_Was it?_

I think about all the classes I had this semester. English with Professor Adam, psychology with Professor Arusia, public speaking with Professor Bii, biology with Professor Olkari, and-

"College algebra with Professor Shiro." I blurt out.

There's a pause as Lotor looks at me, cheeks bubbled up as if ready to burst at any second.

Then he doubles over in laughter, clutching his sides as if the sudden explosion of laughter was painful. I feel the blush hit my ears.

"What's so fucking funny?" I yell a little louder than expected. Lotor tries to speak between breaths.

"No wonder...you don't...recognize...him." Lotor gasps for air, laughing as if this is the funniest thing that his ears had ever heard.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Lotor wipes an actual tear from his eyes, before composing himself. "Because you were too busy gawking at White's ass."

I smack his leg, the sound resonating throughout the barren court. "I was not!"

"Was too!" Lotor chuckles a bit, shaking his head. "You're always going on about 'Shiro this' and 'Shiro that'." Lotor stands up, doing a very dramatic "damsel in distress" type pose. "'Oh Lotor, Shiro smiled at me today! Oh Lotor, Shiro praised me for getting the answer correct! Oh Lotor, Shiro's ass is fat, I wonder how big his-'"

I hit the back of his kneecaps, causing him to fold under himself. "Knock it off!"

Lotor sits up, seemingly un-phased by his fall. "It's true! He's all you ever talk about, and if he was a food, he'd be your diet."

"It's not like that." I sigh, running my hands through my damp hair. "It's just that he actually pushes me, ya know?"

"Oh so you like it rough?" Lotor raises his eyebrows again.

"See this is why I never tell you anything." I stand up to leave, but Lotor pulls me back down.

"All jokes aside, you've told me enough." Lotor looks serious, and his eyes flicker to the scar on my face. I consciously brush my wet hair in front of it, tugging at the sleeves of my shirt. "You don't have to force yourself to say anymore than you already have."

"It's just, he understands?" I almost question it myself. "Like I told him things that I've told you, how I wanted to quit, but he just wouldn't let me. At the beginning of the semester, I turned in a quiz and purposefully calculated every answer to be one point off, and he saw through my bullshit. He actually thinks I'm capable, and actually believes I'm smart, and he hasn't allowed me to quit yet. I just...really appreciate him."

"And I'm glad that you have someone else to confide in." Lotor places his hand on my shoulder, using a firm grip. "I'm glad that you are finding other people to reach, because it's been so fucking long since you've actually opened up to anyone besides me."

I raise a finger to protest, but he immediately cuts me off.

"Lura doesn't count."

I put my finger down.

"Honestly, I just don't think White is the right choice." He continues, combing his finger through his hair, that mysteriously seemed dry.

"Why not?"

"I just don't want you to get too attached, that's all. Minus the fact that he is literally your professor, there's just something about him..." Lotor trails off.

"I'm not, I swear. I mean he's a good listener, and a handsome one at that..." I mumble the last part and look up at Lotor, who's already giving me a knowing look. "Okay, I admit, maybe I do like him..."

"See!" Lotor shouts.

"But he could like me back, who knows?"

"Please don't tell anyone else these aspirations..."

"I'm joking, I'm joking!" I lightly punched Lotors arm. But the reality is that I am not. As wrong and weird as I know it is, I have unfortunately begun having feelings for my professor, out of all people, all because he decided to pay attention to me. I'll take that confession to the grave before ever admitting it to anyone, even if held at gunpoint

"I know you aren't, which is why I'm saying be careful. The way he approaches you out of everyone else just doesn't sit well with me, professor or not. No more heartbreaks, remember?" Lotor holds out his fist, his hand waiting to be bumped.

"No more heartbreaks." I smile, giving Lotor a fist-bump. Lotor then jumps up, doing a little leg stretch. "Time for me to visit Lura before I head back to GU." Lotor checks his phone.

"Oh yeah, I saw her today." I think back to when that guy I kept running into was gawking at her this morning, and I feel my lips frown. "I talked to her after she was being gawked at by that same guy staring at us through the fence." Lotor immediately grits his teeth.

"Tame your boyfriend before he gets neutered." Lotor points at me firmly, his other hand balled up in a tight fist. I twist my face as if tasting something terrible.

"He's not my boyfriend. I don't even know him."

"I approve of him more than White, also you just might save his balls."

I roll my eyes at how dramatic Lotor is. He is very protective of Allura, and as tortuous as being at different campuses is for Lotor, I'm sure Allura gets a breath from the constant smothering.

"So what did you guys talk about? Me, I suppose?" Lotor flips his hair, while heading to the court exit. I check my cracked phone to read 4:30pm.

"She was telling me about the wonders of lemon juice on 'returning pigmentation" or something."

"Fuck, isn't that gonna hurt?"

"Wouldn't be the first time."


	5. Spilled Beans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> This is one of my favorite chapters, because it is the turning point of the story. I know it's moving slow, slower than most anticipated, but I feel if it went any faster it wouldn't be satisfying. It needs to move this pace, or it won't make sense in the long run. Thank you for bearing with me, and please read the note at the end of this chapter. It is very important.

I lay back on the tennis court, watching the day shift into an orange evening. By the time I finished my extra lap, it was 5 o’clock, and my body was too sore, and my mind too exhausted to rest in my room properly. I focused on my breathing, feeling my chest rise and fall, imitating the day falling into the night. I check my phone screen, 7:57 p.m. illuminating in white numbers. I immediately turn my phone brightness down to avoid strain. I’m trying to prolong getting glasses as much as possible, not only because I have a tight budget, but because I don’t want to look like a fucking nerd.

I sat up, realizing how much time had actually gone by. The school store may be open late, but The Grub will be closing in about an hour, and all the good courses might be gone. Today is Seafood Saturday, and the lunch ladies cook a mean gumbo that vanishes as soon as it hits the pot.

I jump up, and immediately start jogging towards The Grub, which is unfortunately on the opposite side of the campus. If I sprint, I can get there in about 7 minutes.

As I run, the campus lights begin turning on one by one, simultaneously as I pass them. The old orange lights mix with the newer white ones, showing where the schools budget definitely did not go. As I pass by the freshman housing, I see a figure dart under the lights, that makes me slide to a halt. As I squint, I see a mullet trail behind the person, almost like a tail. My mind raced with one thought only.

_I can’t let him win._

I find the energy to sprint faster, catching up to him with a few feet in between us. I guess the sound of my feet smacking the pavement startled him, because he looked back, eyes wide with bewilderment. He probably thought I was chasing after him, which isn’t the case. I’m chasing after food.

Kogane picks up the pace, jumping over benches, cutting across the elevated gardens to get ahead.

“No fair!” I shout, taking a sharp right to a shortcut of my own. I hear a loud laugh as Kogane tramples a few flowers before he’s out of sight.

Luckily, classroom oriented buildings are still open because they have study spaces and resources for kids living on campus. I cut through the Math building, taking various turns to make sure I get to the right exit that leads me to the exact side where The Grub is. 

I burst through a set of double doors, The Grub’s back door sign shining against the old brick. I entered immediately, swinging the door open, just to see Kogane on the opposite side, entering the same time I did.

There were quite a few students, enough to make you feel idiotic if you even decided to sneeze the wrong way. Me and Kogane stare at each other across the room, the smell of various seafoods tickling my nose. Kogane pulls up the gray hoodie he’s wearing, and tightens the strings. Then, simultaneously, we both begin speed walking towards the buffet line. Not enough to cause a scene, but enough to alert the other person that ‘I am not backing down.’

As we both get closer to the gumbo, I hear his sneakers squeak against the waxed tile. He picks up the pace as soon as he is out of sight of the other students eating, and so do I. As we jog to the gumbo pot, our hands grab the ladle at the same time, but I would never admit that.

“Uh, I think I grabbed this first.” Kogane looked at me, eye to eye. Well more like nose to eye, he was slightly shorter than me, but the fact that someone so small could be so fired up is beyond me.

“I’m sorry, but I know I grabbed it first.” I curtly reply, snatching the ladle from his hand, which did not have a leather glove on it. His fingers barely showed, that’s just how far up his sleeves were.

“Listen buddy, you’re going to have to find something else to grub on.” He snatches the ladle back, reaching for the lid on the pot.

“Sorry Yorak, but you’re going to be the one leaving.” I placed my hand on the pot lid so he can’t open it, thankful that the lid was only warm.

“The fuck did you call me?” He took a step closer, almost closing the space between us. My heart started beating fast. If a tiny gremlin was in your face, don’t you think you’d be a little frightened too?

“Boys, boys! Knock it off!” Luci, one of the lunch ladies I’ve grown fond of enters from the back kitchen. 

I jump back from the ladle immediately, my hands in the air. Kogane points at me, and I smack his hand down.

“ _Lance_!” Luci yells at me, her hands on her hips, or at least that’s what it _looked_ like behind the buffet counter. She’s a little short, but her temper is shorter.

“He’s trying to frame me!” I whine almost instinctively. Luci acts as a mother figure to me, not only because she reminds me so much of my own mother, but she kind of just took over that role since I met her. She would make sure I was eating healthily, give me extra portions for take out (which was not allowed on campus), and many other things just to help me out.

“Mijo, aqui!” Luci waves at me to come closer, and I can feel my cheeks light up like the 4th of July. I look at her over the buffet counter, her fierceness spicier than the gumbo I was chasing after. I contemplate pretending not to understand her, until she waves me over again.

“Mijo, tu sabes mejor.” Luci talks sternly with an iron gaze.

“But Luci-” I start, only to immediately be cut off.

“Aht, aht, aht! Si te vas a quejar usa español.” Luci shakes her pointer finger at me.

“Lo siento.” I sigh, defeated. She knows I’m too lazy to fathom those words right now, and that I have too much pride to expose myself any further. I don’t even know who this guy is, and I would have preferred to keep this part of me to myself.

“Ahora comparte.” She waves me away, smiling to Kogane who's behind me. I did not realize that he moved a lot closer, and when I turned around an expression I could not make out. Was it _disgust_? It wouldn’t have been the first time.

I pinch my nose, picking up the ladle, handing it to him.

“Aqui-”, I clear my throat, “Here, take it.” Luci smiles, as she steps back into the kitchen.

“It’s fine dude, take it,” Kogane shoved the ladle back to me.

“What, you’re gonna turn your nose up at this too? You think you’re too good for it?”

Okay, _that_ was kind of personal.

“Dude, just eat the fucking gumbo, it’s _not_ that fucking serious” Kogane says defensively, as if I offended him. Why is that?

“I don’t want it anymore, I’m not even hungry,” I state. Then my stomach growls loudly, calling me out as the liar I am.

“Not hungry, huh?” Kogane laughs through his nose. I roll my eyes, and trudge to the cereal bar, scanning each dispenser until my eyes land on the perfect brand.

Honey Bunches of Oats.

_Again._

I dispense in some milk, and my eyes search for an empty table, which honestly isn’t that hard considering the cafeteria was empty.

I walk towards the nearest one, and plop down in the cushioned chair, the cereal sloshing a bit. I place the bowl down, getting ready to dig in, when I noticed that I can’t.

Not because I changed my mind about eating the cereal, no, _never_.

I forgot a fucking spoon.

Groaning in annoyance, I slump back to the cereal bar, grab a spoon, and sit back down to see an unexpected visitor.

“What the _fuck_ are you you doing here?” I say out loud, the words rolling off my tongue a lot more vicious than I intended.

“I didn’t know someone was sitting here, I just assumed someone didn’t clean their mess. My bad.” Kogane says nonchalantly, without looking up from his bowl of gumbo. The smell overpowered the subtle, sweet scent of my cereal, and the mixture of spicy shrimp and milk almost made me gag.

“Bullshit.” I point my spoon at him, before digging into my cereal. I don’t mind my manners, and slurp away, hoping the way I was eating would drive him away.

“Alright fine. You caught me red handed,” He holds his hands up as if he were caught, but his tone was sarcastic as hell. I noticed he didn’t have on those dumbass, fingerless gloves, and my mouth beats me before I can catch it.

“Where are those stupid ass gloves?”

Oh, _fuck me_.

Kogane gives me an inquisitive look, one eyebrow raised with the other slanted down. It was a look that said-

“How the fuck would you know that?” He tugs his sleeves down a bit more, to where they were resting in the palm of his hand. He then takes off the tied hoodie, and runs his hands through his hair, which was a poor attempt to fix as his hair looked as if he were electrocuted. He moves a few locks to cover the scar that was once hidden when he had his hoodie tied up.

“Answer my question first,” I try to keep my cool, hoping I wasn’t showing any signs of me panicking on the inside.

“I believe I deserve an explanation first?” Kogane leans back in the chair opposing mine, his arms crossed, as if to guard something.

“Was that a question, or a statement?” I reply simply. I look up from my bowl to see him staring back with a blank expression, as if to challenge me.

I stare back, accepting the unspoken challenge.

_You won’t break me._

He laughs through his nose, his shoulders bouncing a bit, before running his hands through his hair again, then readjusting his sleeves as if those actions were a routine habit that he hasn’t been able to break.

“I took them off. My hands were sweating too much. To put it simply, it was hot.” Kogane leans forward, putting his elbows on the table. If this were my mother's house, a chancla would be protruding out of his face by now.

“Interesting,” I reply, turning my attention back to my cereal, signaling the end of the conversation. Kogane doesn’t take the hint and keeps on talking.

“Okay, so how the fuck did you know about my gloves?”

“Your food is going to get cold. What a waste.” I reply, eating another bite, crunching on the almonds.

“How do you know about my gloves?” he asks, slightly more demanding. I throw the spoon down in the cereal, my annoyance rising. A few droplets land outside the bowl, on the wooden table.

“Because I _do_! Happy?”

“I’m not. That was such an half-assed explanation.” He retorts, leaning back on the chair again.

“Well you didn’t ask for a full-ass explanation.”

We sit in silence, and I can feel his eyes burning into my forehead as I try to peacefully eat my cereal. I’m barely two-thirds in, and this prick can’t seem to get the message. 

“Why are you still here?”

“Because I can.” Kogane snaps.

“‘Kay.”

I go back to eating my cereal, trying to ignore his presence. I get to the last few flakes, when he speaks again in a softened tone.

“I’m here because I kept running into you today, and it’s getting weird. At first I thought it was a bunch of coincidences, but considering you know what my gloves look like, I can only assume you’ve been following me."

I choke on an almond at his accusations. “Dude, you're way over your head. I promise there is nothing about you worth following.” I scoff, knowing that this is partly a lie. Was I knowingly following him? No. Was I hoping to run into him, but wasn’t expecting it to actually happen? _Hell yes_.

I just didn’t expect our encounter to end up like this.

“Oh yeah, like I’m supposed to believe that. I bet my mom put you up to this,” He tugs at his sleeves again, “or are you paparazzi? Maybe in the newspaper club?”

“I think the spiciness is going to your head, because I have no fucking clue what you are talking about.” I say honestly, and genuinely confused. Kogane sizes me up a bit, as if to see if I’m telling the truth. I size him up too, wondering what paparazzi would want to photograph such an emo mess?

“Do I know you?” He asks, leaning forward a bit. His gray eyes study me as if I were an anatomy diagram. His brows were furrowed, and the lines were so prominent, I could tell he does it often. Besides the lines, and the scar that he keeps trying to hide, he had pretty nice skin. It was smooth like butter, without the unnecessarily, greasy sheen.

“You should,” I answer back, kind of hoping he would go away, but at the same time, enjoying our banter. It was kind of entertaining to see him so confused, yet annoying that he didn’t know me after an entire semester. He was so far up Shiro’s ass that he couldn’t pay attention to the people around him actually trying to get to know him and make him feel welcomed when we all felt out of place. Now it’s my turn to annoy him.

“Where do I know you from?” He asks, getting a little bit closer than before.

“Aht, aht, aht, since you want to play 20 questions, I believe it’s my turn to ask you something.” I smile a bit, taking my turn to lean back in my chair.

“Fine,” he huffs, like a child who wasn’t getting their way.

 _Good_.

I stare at him for a good minute, deciding on what to trip him up with. As much as I want to piss him off, I do want to get to know him better. That is my ultimate goal.

Why not _both_?

“What’s up with the scar?”

His whole body freezes instantly, as if he were stuck in a moment that he couldn’t escape. His eyes glaze over a bit, before he shakes his head vigorously, exposing the scar on his face some more.

“I-” he begins to stutter, but I can take a hint.

Unlike _someone_ sitting at the table.

“Alright, that was a little below the belt. Lemme retract that…” I state, searching for something harmless to ask about.

“What's with the sleeves, then?”

He gradually inches his hands under the table, as if moving them slowly would make me notice any less.

“Retract that.” He says blankly.

“No can do, I already did that once.” I swirl the left over milk in my bowl, creating a little whirlpool.

“I-I was cold.” He stumbled to find the right words, but it was off.

“No you weren't,” I catch him in his lie, “you said so earlier that you were hot, which is why you took our gloves off.”

“Well aren’t you perceptive,” He mumbles quietly.

“Very. Plus, how cold can it possibly be? There’s barely a breeze in this 90-degree weather heat! You even had on long ass sweats while you were playing tennis today around noon.” I push. A vivid image of him smiling flashes through my mind, and I almost smile myself if it weren’t for the terrified boy sitting in front of me totally contradicting that image. It was as if his court confidence was just that, for the court. The color faded from his face as he tried to come up with words to say.

“Dude what is it, you can tell me,” I prod, trying to find his eyes, but he keeps avoiding mine.

“No, I won’t.” He shakes his head, yanking down the sleeves some more.

“Come on dude, what is it? An embarrassing Spongebob tattoo sleeve?” I lean a little closer, my arm reaching out.

“No, it’s not.” His face is flushed. Whether embarrassment or fear, my curiosity blinded me at the time.

“I promise I won’t tell anyone that you got a tattoo of ‘no regerts’ on your arm to be ironic.” I laugh. At the same time, I reach for his sleeve, but miss as I am knocked back with a force that depletes the wind out of my chest.

“I said stop!”

Kogane’s voice echoes throughout the cafeteria as he jolts up, with the table and it’s contents sliding in my direction, spilling with a loud slosh sound. The gumbo burns my eyes, as I push the table off me, while simultaneously wiping contents out of my eyes. I look up through my stinging eyes to see Keith standing there, shocked.

It’s not like he’s the one on the floor covered in gumbo and milk.

Which is _not_ a nice smell combination.

Keith holds the sleeve I tried to grab in his other hand, before dashing in the opposite direction, most likely near the exit.

“Keith!” I shrill voice calls.

 _I’m Lance_ , I thought.

“Keith, wait up!”

I wipe my eyes again, just in time to see a trail of bleached white hair fan off into the direction of Keith.

 _Keith_.

So _that’s_ the little fucker’s name.

And the graceful gal from earlier somehow knew him.

_“She has a boyfriend.”_

Keith’s words from earlier ring through my ear.

 _Ah_.

So _he_ must be the boyfriend.

I laugh, as I stand back up, careful not to slip on the shrimp and crawfish littered in between the liquids. 

Then why wasn’t _he_ sitting with her to begin with?

 _It doesn't matter_ , I thought. All I know is that both of them are a no go now.

 _Both of them?_ , the voice in the back of my head nagged.

“Lance!”

My thoughts are broken as an angry Luci begins marching up to me, followed by a low round of “Oooo’s” from the few students who got free entertainment as they ate. Luci’s pace quickened as she got closer, resembling a bull charging towards a red cape.

Not only did Keith waste his food, he left me to clean up his spilt beans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N
> 
> I hope you all can see why THIS is one of my favorite chapters in the first half. I just get a rush reading it for some reason. After I wrote this chapter months ago, I knew the story was going in the direction that I wanted. I knew that I could build off of this.
> 
> In addition to this story, which is the main plot, there are a lot of other elements and such going on behind Lance and Keith that fuels their actions in the main plot, but interrupt the flow if randomly interjected into this story. It also has notes on the characters in this AU, headcanons/fanons, and such. So my ultimate goal is to create a "side story" book that goes along with this timeline. I won't know for sure until I get closer to completing the main plot, and I won't create it if you guys don't really care so much about the background stuff. If you guys prefer the main plot, then I want to solely focus on just that.
> 
> Anyhow, the tables have turned (or rather, have been flipped) and the speed is picking up from here on out. Thank you for sticking around this far, and I ask that you stick around with me longer!
> 
> I don't really care much about kudos and comments, but it would be nice to receive them to know I'm not making an A/N to myself and the dust bunnies in my bedroom corner.
> 
> Stay safe out here!
> 
> -inlovewithaghoul <3


	6. Episode 6- Lover Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya!
> 
> I know it has been five-ever, but I never stopped writing. I and a few family members got diagnosed with corona, then school came around, then I had to pick up extra jobs to balance the ones my parents lost. And that's only the icing on the cake, I don't want to go into too much detail. Anyway, working on this has given me the motivation to keep going. Enjoy, more to come soon!

He's avoiding me like the plague.

But who would blame him?

I'm me, and I embarrassed him.

I ran away, but he didn't.

What kind of fucked up person leaves someone sprawled on the floor with your left over dinner?

Oh yeah, _me_.

Despite the weird spawn of luck with me running into him all day yesterday, the luck seemed to run out, just like I did.

It was fucked up, I admit, but the already large amount of uncomfortableness spilled out.

I couldn't control it, just like I'm too helpless to get control over my own life, let alone a stranger's.

Every time I got a glimpse of him, every time our eyes met, every time I opened my mouth to give a poor excuse of a half-assed apology, he would bolt into the opposite direction. The confidence during our debate yesterday seemed to deflate, as if it were fueled by that itself.

Of course I feel guilty, I'm not emotionless. But the guy needs to learn what personal space is.

My head swirls around, conflicted.

"Allura, what am I supposed to do?" I flop onto her pillow, flailing my legs on Allura's strangely soft bed. Maybe it was the luscious, over sized, pink duvet covering her cheap college mattress. The duvet wasn't the only thing in the room that was pink, but the accent wall, curtains, the strip lights, and a few of the small items lining her room were pink. Not an eye-gouging hot pink, but a soft Easter shade. Despite her business-like stature, her room was what people would consider to be very "girly". Nevertheless, it was very comfy, so I find myself here more often than not, as opposed to my cold and dull room.

"Honestly Keith, I have no clue." She sat on the floor, hugging a pink bear that had Lotor's name cross stitched in purple against the white belly. I roll my eyes a bit, burying my face deeper into the pillow. Allura continues, "Honestly, do you really expect him to want to talk to you after you left him like that?"

I groan back into the pillow, thinking about yesterday. Images of us racing towards the seafood bar, a short lady coming to my rescue, me interrogating the strange dude, him reaching for my sleeves-

"It wasn't on purpose," I sat up abruptly.

"I know that. I'm sure he knows that, but that doesn't change the fact that you committed social homicide, the victim, Lover Boy."

Lover Boy, a nickname given to the stranger when I told Allura that he was checking her out yesterday, proceeding to cast him into the type she despises without properly knowing him. 'He's here alone on break, and checking out who's available? Either he's looking for dick, or something to stick his dick into.' she had said, which resulted in me kicking her out of her own bed in the first place so that she may atone.

"Allura, you're not helping in the slightest." I glare at her.

"What, it's a fact!" Her laughter resonates through the room, making me feel warm from embarrassment, instead of it's usual friendly warmth. "Lover Boy will have no chances of making any friends whatsoever after this, let alone date. After you dodged me last night, I went back to the lunch room to see just about every other person in there with their phones out, watching him get chewed out in Spanish by one of the café ladies"

Allura swiftly pulls out her phone, which is cradled in a soft pink case, opening Instagram. She clicks on one story, and shows the guy drenched in food, getting smacked by the lunch lady from yesterday. He's apologizing profusely in Spanish, but she doesn't want to hear it, and keeps cutting him off. Allura swipes to the next story, and it's the same thing from a different angle. Swipe. He's on his knees, picking up pieces of food on the floor. Swipe. He's mopping the floor. Swipe. He's dabbing himself off in the corner near the trashcan. Swipe. He's getting more food in the café line. Allura gets ready to swipe, but I stop her.

"Wait a second." I take her phone, taking a closer look. Why would anyone be recording him at this point? Their entertainment is over.

Unless it wasn't to them.

I turn up the volume, and hear a few dudes laughing. The video has the words "it was a dare" pasted on the bottom right hand corner, followed by a few laughing emojis. A guy walks into the frame, wearing our school's football jersey over some oversized shorts.

"Hola, dickhead!" The guy laughs, flicking his dirty blonde curls out of his face. Though he was visually attractive, I could tell his personality was not. My stomach began turning in knots.

"Fuck off, Jonas. And get that Android camera out of my fucking face." Lover Boy retorts, bucking at whoever was behind the camera. The camera jumps, the person behind it obviously flinching in fear.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa there 'mijo', calmate, or whatever." He speaks in such a condescending and sarcastic tone, that even I frown. He is appraised by a round of snickers from those around him.

"What do you want?" Lover Boy is holding a plate, which is decorated with different delicacies.

Jonas' face morphs into curiosity, as he points to the plate. "Are you gonna finish that?"

Lover Boy looks dumbfounded. "Well after seeing you, I kind of lost my appetite."

"Then let me help you out."

Jayce grabs the plate, and shoves it into Lover Boy's face, a wet slosh sound followed by the eruption of laughter. Lover Boy wipes his eyes, and doesn't hesitate to swing on Jayce. But the video ends before his fist makes contact to his face.

I wince, and Allura loudly gasps. "What the actual fuck? I'm sending this to my father immediately." She begins tapping ferociously on her phone screen, her eyebrows furrowed.

"No offence Allura, but will your father even get it? He's not that tech savvy for someone so young." I slouch back down on the fluffy comforter, the video replaying in my mind. Allura interrupts my thoughts as she scoffs in disgust.

"I can't believe people still act like that in this day and age. I bet he doesn't even wash his legs, disgusting ass, trust fund spoiled, Trum-,"

"Don't say his name, you'll summon him." I interrupt her.

"People who support that man should be summoned straight to hell." Allura rolls her eyes, before staring at her screen. I can hear the audio of the video being replayed over and over, not needing any visuals to know what happens next.

"Can you turn that off, please?" I ask as nicely as possible, while still feeling irritated. Though I didn't know Lover Boy personally, it hurt to watch someone be tormented over something as simple as the language they speak. Something I could relate to all too well.

"I'm sorry." Allura shoves her phone away, going back to hugging her bear. "It's just, this boy needs someone more than ever." I could tell Allura was serious, because she dropped the ridiculous nickname she gave him. "It looks as if he has no support here."

"His friends probably left for the break." I say aloud to reassure myself. I at least hope he has friends. But even if he did, how would they help him now? And I'm sure they offered to take him with them, no one would just leave their friends alone for the holidays. At least, if they were true friends.

True friends.

He must have stayed for some reason?

"He probably doesn't want to worry them. But I'm sure they've seen this shit if they follow the right people." Allura scrolls through the stories on Insta again.

There's a bit of a pause, a moment of silence that I couldn't quite place on a scale between comfortable silence and awkwardly deafening.

"Keith, you need to talk to him." Her voice is low, but stern.

"I can't!" I whine, a bit too childish for my own liking.

"No, you don't want to!"

"Okay, I don't want to, but I know it's the right thing to do, and guilt is the only thing driving me to interact with him, but he keeps avoiding me!"

"You can not blame him in this situation. You're not trying hard enough!"

"Allura," I pause with my eyes shut, and rub my temples, "please. I am fucking trying."

Allura sighs in defeat, slumping into the pink carpet on her floor.

"What if I say something?" She asks seriously, looking me dead in the eye.

"What? And make me look like even more of a coward? Hell no." I retort, trying to think of some other way to talk to him without actually talking to him.

"Well either hydrate your shriveled up balls, or let me handle it."

"Jeez Lura, calm down." I squeeze the pillow.

"I know you're not going to do it, but I respect that you put yourself out there to try. I know how hard this can be on your mental, so let me handle it."

I sit there, contemplating. It was utterly shameful that I couldn't do this myself. As bad as I wanted to, I just physically could not bring myself to it. Even if I caught him today, I wouldn't know shit to say. How would you be able to apologize for something so embarrassing?

"I'm sorry if I'm being harsh, I swear it's not on purpose, or towards you in any way. It just infuriates me seeing someone done unjustly." Allura says proudly, yet her eyes seethed with anger.

I scoff. "It's cool, it's kind of nostalgic to how you used to treat me."

"Oh please, I was totally awful to you." She shakes her head with shame.

"Totally a bitch."

She throws her Lotor bear at me, laughing. "Fuck off, I had valid reasons."

"Didn't you all." I give a small smile.

"I'm not gonna like it though, meddling like this."

"Isn't so nice in my shoes, now is it?"

"Not in the slightest." She sighs, but with a reassuring smile. I'm not sure if it was for me, or herself.

"Don't worry. He was practically drooling over you that one time, or maybe the cereal." I tease. "If Lover Boy really is how you think, just show a little cleavage and maybe he'll forgive me faster."

"Nothing like making males squirm. Since I basically have no upper hand on Lotor, I gotta mess with men somehow." She laughs, stretching her T-shirt down a bit to show a smidge of cleavage. I gag jokingly, and we both breakdown in a fit of giggles.

"Speaking of Lotor, he's not going to be happy at all." I warn her. Lotor can get a bit, to put it nicely, possessive when it comes to Allura. Not in a way that makes it obvious, but it's kind of annoying and borderline concerning if you knew him well enough.

"Who cares about what makes him happy? This ain't about him." Allura rolls her eyes, drawing swirling patterns around on the carpet.

"Ugh, are you two fighting again?" I ask her, sitting up straighter than ever. Allura pauses to think her answer over.

"No. I mean, yes? I don't fucking know."

"'Lura, not again."

"I love LoLo with every particle of my being, I really do, but he can be such a dictator sometimes. No drinking on exam nights, no social media, no partying with rando's, no this, no that. I mean, he's a senior, I'm a junior. I get he has experience over me, but it's only by a year. Like, chill the fuck out."

"Lura, as much as I love Lotor, please ditch him. He's not good for you, I'm telling you."

"I know, I know you know him better than me. But, I could really see a future with him. Not just your old fashioned housewife case, but business partners also. Teammates. I'm willing to invest in him because of his potential, not because he has a nine-inch package."

"I really didn't need to visualize his dick." I cover my eyes as if his ding-dong was on display right in front of me.

"You could have told your brain not to." She laughs. "So it's a plan then."

I give her a small, unsure smile. "I guess it is."

Allura stands up, her lumber body stretching from sitting for so long. She walks toward a clothing rack in the opposite corner of the room.

"Time to bring out the big girls."


End file.
